12 O.C. teachers win national board certification

National board-certified teacher Sharon McCubbin embraces third-grader Jaden Allen in her classroom at Irvine's Springbrook Elementary School. McCubbin is the only teacher in the nation who is a National Board Certified Teacher in four subject areas: middle childhood generalist (2000), English as a new language (2002), early childhood generalist (2003), and reading-language arts/early and middle childhood (2005).TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY ANA VENEGAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Twelve Orange County educators have been named 2011 National Board Certified Teachers, considered the most elite honor of the teaching profession.

The O.C. teachers, who hail from Anaheim to Newport Beach, represent less than 1 percent of all educators in Orange County, reflecting the dedication and skill that are required to earn the elite certification. Less than half of teachers are certified on their first try.

"National board certification is synonymous with great teaching," Ronald Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, said in a statement. "While our nation is focused on the need for the highest quality teachers, board certification truly is the gold standard."

The 12 O.C. educators, announced earlier this month, join 6,266 nationally who achieved the recognition this year.

Also this year, six O.C. teachers renewed their certification, which is valid for 10 years.

The pass rate on the first try is about 45 percent nationally, officials say. Teachers who don't pass in their first year have two additional years to redo the portions of the 10-part certification processes they failed. About 65 percent of applicants pass by the third year.

National board certification typically involves compiling four portfolios in excess of 100 typed pages, and can easily take 400 hours to complete, officials say.

In each portfolio, teachers are asked to methodologically analyze elements of their teaching style, explaining why and how they deliver instruction and precisely how it translates into student success. The self-reflective analysis must include student work samples, plus recorded video footage of the teacher delivering lessons to students.

After completing the portfolio, applicants must take a timed, three-hour exam at a testing center, during which they answer six essay prompts that test mastery of content in their certification area. They are given 30 minutes to answer each prompt.

More than 97,000 nationwide have achieved board certification. Numbers tend to be higher on the East Coast, where the program originated and is based, officials say.

Some states offer financial incentives and bonuses for becoming certified; California's one-time, $10,000 stipend for earning certification has been axed as a cost-cutting measure.

Some O.C. school districts cover the $2,500 application fee and/or provide support networks for applicants. Others provide financial incentives to teachers who pass, such as Newport-Mesa Unified, where a 2 percent annual bonus is automatically added to a board-certified teacher's base salary.

National board-certified teacher Sharon McCubbin embraces third-grader Jaden Allen in her classroom at Irvine's Springbrook Elementary School. McCubbin is the only teacher in the nation who is a National Board Certified Teacher in four subject areas: middle childhood generalist (2000), English as a new language (2002), early childhood generalist (2003), and reading-language arts/early and middle childhood (2005). TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY ANA VENEGAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
National board-certified teacher Leslee Milch, a kindergarten teacher at Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School in Buena Park, also serves as an Orange County coordinator, mentor and trainer for the National Board Certified Teacher program. National board certification is widely regarded as the most elite honor of the teaching profession, and requires passing an exam and putting together a detailed application, including a portfolio that typically takes at least a year to assemble. TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Leslee Milch, a kindergarten teacher at Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School in Buena Park, hands back some of her students' work. Milch works as an Orange County coordinator, mentor and trainer for the National Board Certified Teacher program. TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Leslee Milch, a kindergarten teacher at Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School in Buena Park, became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2003; her certification is in early childhood generalist. TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
National Board Certified Teachers, from left, Leslee Milch, Patrick Guggino and Cynthia Higley pose for a photo at a televised May 2011 conference in Los Angeles called "Education Nation," hosted by NBC. Milch is a kindergarten teacher in Buena Park and an NBCT coordinator and mentor; Guggino is a high school English teacher in Covina; and Higley is a middle school physical science teacher in Villa Park. TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, PHOTO COURTESY OF LESLEE MILCH
Third-grade teacher Sharon McCubbin teaches a math lesson in a small group setting in her classroom at Irvine's Springbrook Elementary School. McCubbin is the only teacher in the nation who is national board-certified in four subject areas: middle childhood generalist (2000), English as a new language (2002), early childhood generalist (2003), and reading-language arts/early and middle childhood (2005). TEXT BY SCOTT MARTINDALE, FILE PHOTO BY ANA VENEGAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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